Tibet fight turns 49 - Vancouver protest

A Tibetan protest took to the streets yesterday in Vancouver to send a
simple message: Free Tibet.

The rally marked the 49th anniversary of Tibetan national uprising
against Chinese occupation in their country, as a crowd of more than
150 joined in on the movement.

Beginning at noon, the march went from the Vancouver Art Gallery,
across the Granville Street Bridge, and ended at the Chinese consulate
on West 16th Ave.

Tenzin Lhalungpa, the president of Vancouver's Canada Tibet Committee,
said that an event like this makes a difference.

"They have to take people like us into consideration," he said. "I
think Tibet has suffered a great injustice, and we need to show the
people running China that there are people who are concerned about
issues in Tibet."

The peaceful rally, which was also held in cities around the world,
commemorates the first Tibetan uprising against China in 1959, and to
bring awareness to China's continual "illegal" presence in the
country. With the 2008 Beijing Olympics just months away, Tibetans are
also protesting the Chinese government's lack of action.

"The activities in China and Tibet have gotten worse, and China needs
to be held accountable for what they promised to do when their Olympic
bid was successful," Lhalungpa said.